Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and spent my twenties and early thirties living and working in Manhattan. Then fell in love with a woman who lived on Long Island and moved out there when we got married. We moved to Southern California a few years ago to be closer to my daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter. Every job I’ve ever had involved writing in one form or another, whether it was ad copy, press releases, book and movie reviews, cartoon dialogue, sports stories, documentaries, videos or web content. I believe that all writing tells a story, and writing fiction is the ultimate in storytelling. That’s why I devoted the past few years to writing novels full time.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “Hard Headed Woman”?
A2. Hannah, the main character, as well as many of the other major characters in the story, are women. Keeping ‘in character’ and not letting my masculine biases influence the writing was both challenging and invigorating.
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. My mother loved reading mysteries and there were always many books by Agatha Christie, Rex Stout, Ellery Queen and other great mystery writers of the day scattered around the house. Those were the first ‘grown-up’ books that I read and it led to my lifelong love of that genre. Other writers who have influenced me include Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Philip Roth, Jack Higgins, Donald E. Westlake and Lawrence Block.
Q4. What’s your favorite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. I love the beach. Walking on the sand, inhaling the sea air, listening the rhythm of the waves crashing on the shore, knowing that for thousands of years before and for thousands more to come, that rhythm, like the beating heart of the earth, will endure. That’s why the beach, any beach, is my go-to spot.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘Hard Headed Woman’?
A5. It was actually the location that sparked my inspiration. Much of the action in Hard Headed Woman takes place at the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge, a large wilderness area devoted to the preservation of birds and nature, located across the bay from JFK Airport. The juxtaposition of that oasis of tranquility and one of the world’s busiest and most frenetic transportation and commercial hubs presents a lot of interesting dramatic possibilities. Also, the main character, Hannah, is very loosely based on my wife, who grew up on the Jamaica Bay Refuge when her father was the superintendent there.
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘Hard Headed Woman’?
A6. The concept for the book had been mulling around in my head from the first time I visited the Jamaica Bay Refuge many years ago. The actual time from my first scribbled notes to the final draft was a little over two years.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Books and Kobo.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘Hard Headed Woman’?
A8. One of my closest friends is an accomplished artist. After he read the book we worked together brainstorming visual concepts for the cover. Like me, Hannah loves the beach and several important scenes take place there. Though the scene is dark, there is a sliver of light in the distance. As for the title, Hannah keeps doggedly pushing forward to find that light in spite of many dangerour and even lige-threatening obstacles in her path, and everyone in her life telling her to stop. Also as a lifelong rock & roll fan, I knew there were two hit songs titled Hard Headed Woman, one by Elvis portraying her in a negative light, the other by Cat Stevens who views hardheadedness very positively. Throughout the novel, Hannah embodies aspects of both songs.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. I’ve found that as a book progresses and characters develop, they say and do things, that actually surprise me. There were several times in Hard Headed Woman where something happened and I thought, ‘Wow, I didn’t see that coming.’ I figure that if I could surprise myself, it would also be pretty surprising for readers.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. It’s actually something I read by the great historical novelist Robert Graves. ‘There is no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting.’
Buy Hard Headed Woman on Amazon
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